A Look on the Real Fourth Shinobi World War
by DynamoBlaze
Summary: This book seeks to explore the factors that started the Fourth Shinobi World War, its effects, and the War itself.
1. Preface

_Preface_

Welcome to the First Edition of _A Look on the_ _Real Fourth Shinobi World_ _War_. This book endeavours to find out what exactly the fabled 'Shinobi' were. There are, of course, countless stories about the Fourth War, each more unrealistic and awe-inspiring than the last. We shall list those stories which our board of experts are convinced have the highest probablity of having actually happened. We hope that this book helps many to gain a better and deeper understanding of that legendary war which destroyed the world of Shinobi fifteen decades ago.

 _The Authors_


	2. Prelude to War

**Chapter 1: Prelude to War**

 **About a hundred and sixty years ago, there were five great Shinobi Villages. These were** **the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Village Hidden in the Clouds, the Village Hidden in the Stones, and the Village Hidden in the Mist.**

 **In addition to these, there were many minor Hidden Villages. Of these, the Village Hidden in the Waterfall, the Village Hidden in the Grass, the Village Hidden in the Rain, and the Village Hidden in the Sound were the most prominent.**

...

"But Sensei, if the villages were hidden, then how do we know about them?"

"Actually, of all the villages, it was only the Village Hidden in the Waterfall that was actually hidden. All of the others were just for show."

...

 **In the Village Hidden in the Rain, there was an organisation known as the Akatsuki. Its main objective was said to be to collect and destroy all the Tailed Beasts.**

...

"What were the tailed beasts, sensei?"

"Legend has it that the tailed beasts work malevolent masses of energy who could control natural disasters. However, historians believe that this was the code word for Weapons of Mass Destruction."

...

 **The Tailed Beasts, of which there were nine, were more or less distributed uniformly throughout the Hidden Villages. The Village Hidden in the Leaves had one, the Village Hidden in the Sand had one, the Village Hidden in the Clouds had two, the Village Hidden in the Mist had two, the Village Hidden in the Stones had two, and the Village Hidden the Waterfall had one.**

 **The Akatsuki had already collected eight of them, when tensions escalated. The Village Hidden in the Leaves refused to hand over their Tailed Beast, which was the strongest amongst all of them. The other Hidden Villages were angered by this.**

...

 _Iwa_

 _"Tsuchikage-sama, there are rumors. Rumors, that the Akatsuki wish to collect the tailed beasts, and destroy them._ All _of the beasts."_

 _"What matters it, to us? Han is a criminal, Roshi has abandoned us. We have no obligation to them. If they truly are going to do that, there will be peace once more. I shall support them."_

 _Kumo_

 _"Raikage-sama, I understand that you are furious about the death of your brother, however your first duty is to the people. Waging unnecessary war will cause problems, most of which you are not unaware about."_

 _"His death will not go unpunished! I will have their heads for this!"_

 _Kiri_

 _"Mizukage-sama, what are we to do about the Akatsuki?"_

 _"The Sanbi was free, so we care not for it. Utakata was a nukenin, so that too is acceptable. We shall support them."_

 _Suna_

 _"Gaara? Are you alright?"_

 _"No, Temari. I am not alright. Logic dictates that I should support the Akatsuki. Emotions say that I must not betray Naruto. But then again, Naruto is not Konoha..."_

...

 **So, the four other Great Villages, and most of the minor ones, allied against the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Due to their pooled resources and abilities, they were finally able, after six months of constant attacks, to capture the last remaining Tailed Beast.**

 **And this, in the words of a historian, was where 'Everything went to pure, absolute shit.'**


	3. The Fallout of Restraint

**Chapter 2: The** **Fallout of Restraint**

 **The Fourth Shinobi World War was said** **to be the least destructive war of all time. This is counterintuitive, because how could the least destructive war eradicate all Shinobi? The reason for this is that the Village Hidden in the Leaves was the most peaceful Great Village.**

 **This again is counterintuitive. The Village Hidden in the Leaves, being most peaceful, demanded less of its Shinobi. This made them less desiring to desert the Village, as was common with the other Great Villages. This also gave them ability to be moral, as the harsh climate of the other Villages denied any chance for morality. This meant that most, if not all, Shinobi from that Village had techniques which they did not use, as they were regards as unethical or morally wrong. These techniques usually required sacrifice, or caused immense loss of life. So, in simpler words, the Shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves restrained themselves from their most dangerous techniques.**

 **The person who** **held the Tailed Beast inside themselves was beloved by everyone in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, for obvious reasons. In addition, several prominent leople had close personal ties to this person. As a result, when he died, most, if not all, of the people that made up the Village Hidden in the Leaves were immensely saddened by his death.**

...

"What was his name, Sensei?"

"We don't know the name of the person. Actually, we don't even know if they were male or female."

...

 **As** **an old philosopher has said, ' _Sadness breeds anger, anger fury, and fury revenge._ '**

 **And** **that was what happened, and the Shinobi let go of their ethics, morality, and restraint. In a historian's more colloquial terms, 'They let it loose.'**


	4. Interlude: Konoha

**Interlude: Konoha**

 _"Kakashi, I might be stronger than you, and that's a big might, but you are more suited for this than I am. I am a Hokage of peace._ You _are a Shinobi of war._

 _"Tsunade-sama, you are a veteran of the Second and Third Wars. No mean feat, that. Not to mention Hanzo."_

 _"You are, too. That was what made you a legend."_

 _"I am unfit for the position. Not to mention that I have failed in protec-"_

 _"Quit your whining, Hatake! Yes, your student died! That happens! You're very sad about that? I am, too! But that doesn't change the facts. If we don't do something, the other Villages will crush us!"_

 _Kakashi stays silent for a few minutes, musing. His eyes go cold._

 _"Very well."_

...

 _"And so, to preserve Konoha's strength in time of war, I, Senju Tsunade, hereby announce that the Rokudaime Hokage will be..."_

 _"Hatake Kakashi!"_

...

 _When Kakashi appeared on the podium, Kurenai felt something different about him. It was not the grief, that was common enough to be automatically ignored. She saw the cold eye, the set jaw concealed by a mask, and the rigid posture._

...

 _The Rokudaime Hokage's inaugural speech was the shortest in the history of Konoha._

 _Three words._

 _A single sentence._

 _"They will die."_

...

 _It was then that Kurenai realized that this Kakashi was different. This was not the perpetually-late pervert who partook of porn in public. No, this was the Elite Jonin, the man who was a legend before she was out of the Academy, who had killed more people than she had fought._

 _And then she shivered._

...

 _"You ask much."_

 _"I am the Hokage, am I not?"_

 _"Yes, as of yesterday."_

 _"Then will you not obey me?"_

 _"Why must we do this? Why not the usual method?"_

 _"Too many causalities. Too much grief."_

 _"And this will not? Will there be no grief, here?"_

 _"Less. Much less."_

 _"What about our knowledge? We are possible the most knowledgeable, here in Konoha."_

 _"Write it in a scroll, teach it to your kids, whatever."_

 _"You will not relent?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Then so be it."_

...

 _The day after the crowning of the Rokudaime, the Clan Heads returned to their homes in various states of distress. Some called for scrolls, other their children._

 _But soon, they were left alone. And they prepared._

 _They had work to do._


	5. The Annihilation of Akanatsu

**Chapter 3: The Annihilation of Akanatsu**

 **Akanatsu was a small town in the Land of Hot Water, near the border with the Land of Fire. It was a stop for the forces, numbering 200 Moderate and 70 Elite Shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Cloud, who had been stationed there after the Village Hidden in the Leaves had lost its Tailed Beast.**

 **However, unfortunately for these forces, Akanatsu was also home to a person, codename Shiromure, who worked as an informant for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.**

 **A few months after the village was occupied, a single Shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves appeared. All descriptions of this person differ, but they agree on two important points: androgynous, and pupilless white eyes. Historians believe that this person was blind, but skeptics have raised the question of how a blind person could have done what was done.**

...

"What does androgynous mean, sensei?"

"It means that you can't tell whether the person was male or female, since they looked a bit like both."

...

 _"Hyuuga!" A Chuunin whispered, and suddenly the whole house was on high alert._

 _"How many?" Asked the assigned Jonin, already readying his weapons for battle._

 _"It's strange. Looks as if... only one?"_

 _"What? Have those treehuggers gone mad? Let me take a look." The Jonin said, snatching the binoculars from the lower officer._

 _What he saw confused and scared him. Yes, there was only a single Hyuuga on the straight road, and he was smiling(!) and looking_ right at him

 _"Prepare for Kage level attack, code Chihuahua."_

 _"What? It's only one-"_

 _"Do it or I kill you,_ Chuunin

 _Confused and frightened, the man did as he was told._

 _The mild midday breeze was pierced with the sound of high pitched sirens, and instantly Shinobi were on the roads, breaking out of doors and windows and other hiding places, frantically looking for the first enemy they could stick a piece of metal into._

 _The Hyuuga himself was greeted with a warm welcome of no less than six Jonin, the finest in the place and each a veteran of the Third Shinobi World War._

 _The Hyuuga smirked, and the air around his hands distorted, balls of zero-pressure flying towards his enemies faster than a hand could possibly throw them. Four dodged, one was hit in the stomach, while the last died instantly when the projectile touched his head._

 _Blood and brains and flesh were splattered on the pristine road, which once again flew into the air as feets slammed on the ground._

 _The remaining four were dealt with quickly. Two had their hearts exploded, one died when his head was severed, and the last one when a hand was driven into his chest._

 _The two Chuunin at the gates proved no impediment, and the ones inside likewise. A Jonin attacked occasionally, but had no effect except slowing the man down for some time and adding even more blood to his clothes._

 _He reached what was the middle of the town, and his already bulging veins almost exploded._

 _" **Hakke: Shou** **Dai Ogata Surudoi Kaiten!** "_

 _The center of the place was entirely obliterated, and the few Shinobi that remained died quickly due to flying debris._

...

 **Apart from the bodies outside and around the town, a large crater was found in the middle of the town, with diameter half that of the town itself. All forces from the Village Hidden in the Cloud were dead. Scientists believe that this was the result of meteorite strike.**

...

 _Lying in the center of a large crater, Hyuuga Hiashi coughed blood, even as his eyes were blocked from sight by his own blood. "Thus I die. Thus he is avenged. Live well, Neji. Live again, Hinata."_

...

 **However, skeptics say that the coincidence is far too large, for why and how would a man arrive where his enemy is, on the very day they shall die?**


	6. The Haunting of Hoshigato

**The Haunting of Hoshigato**

 **Hoshigato was a town in the forests of Fire country. It lay on a less taken, but still well-travelled, path from the Village Hidden in the Sand to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.**

 **While Akanatsu was destroyed, this town became the subject of a very curious spectacle. One morning, on a few kilometres' stretch of the road that led deeper into Fire Country, were found a hundred or so bodies, in the course of investigating a large booming sound. They were, some time later, discovered to be the bodies of ninja from the Village Hidden in the Sand, who were on their way to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In addition was found a single body, which remained unidentified.**

...

 _Totoshi Aoi was a sensor. Actually, he was a very good sensor. As such, he had been kept at the back of the group he was with._

 _They were Unit Seventeen, the ones who would cause trouble and start riots and skirmishes in the heart of Fire Country, distracting Konoha while others covertly got as close to the village proper as possible. Then, they would retreat through the secret path near the temple of Amaterasu._

 _Preoccupied with his thoughts as he was, he paid no mind to a small Chakra source moving towards him. And why should he? Chakra mutations were very common in the forests near Konoha, the trees having once been filled to the brim with the Shodai Hokage's Chakra. The source was small, too - no more than a rat's worth of Chakra. No danger at all._

 _What Aoi failed to notice, in his musing, was that this Chakra source was going as fast as him._

 _There was no mutation that could outrun a Chuunin._

...

 **The townspeople were, understandably, intensely frightened by this. In the head's words, "Anything that can take down so many of those Shinobi, near our town? Bad news. Very bad news." Tales spread, of a ghost that killed Shinobi, a demon that killed anyone who travelled on the road, and countless others.**

...

 _Aburame Shibi nodded to himself. The sensor had sensed neither him, nor his bugs. As was expected. Why? Because his Kikaichu did not hold a particularly large amount of Chakra. Most of them would be invisible to all but the most advanced of sensors._

 _While the Aburame were not particularly suited for open combat, nor for taking down a large number of opponents at the same time, he had been entrusted this job by his leader, and he knew exactly how he would do it._

.

 _Kokono Tsubasa, Jonin leader of Unit 17, felt that little tingle in her back which signified unfortunate circumstances. She looked back, and her eyes widened._

 _She was alone on the road. There was no one with her. Far away, to the direction of Suna, she could make out the body of Shishimaru Kobare, her second-in-command._

 _Her breathing quickened, then levelled again. If whatever it was wanted to kill her, she would already be dead. Solacing herself in what she knew to be a meaningless, possibly false, fact, she stopped. "What do you want?"_

 _Instantly, a presence filled the area. Constricting, heavy, a thousand sandflies brushing against your skin and their noises filling your years, along with the flirs themselves, as they pushed into your ear, pushing into your head and then your brain..._

 _And suddenly the presence receded. It was still there, but largely muted. "My apologies. I am not yet used to gradual release of absorbed chakra." She looked up, trying to suck in the air of the whole world. It was a man, garbed in trench coat and glasses, what little of his skin that was visible broken and cracked by jagged lines of energy itself._

 _"A-Abu-rame?" She gasped out, still reeling from the explosion that had left no effect._

 _"Why, yes. I assume you were expecting something more... flashy? My apologies, but we could not afford that, you see."_

 _She did not see, but could not convey so, because the_ presence _had returned, pressing, crushing, grating. And, strangely, the man himself seemed surprised by this._

 _"It seems that my resistance to Chakra is not as much as expected. Why? Because I have neglected practice. It seems that I shall have to go critical before expected, and shall not be able to interrogate you. No matter."_

 _Gold burst out from his sleeves, and she could see insects,_ glowing _, with what seemed like strange Chakra. They covered the world, everything was glinting gold glares, gnarled gnashing, thousands of insects..._

 _And then there were none._

 _The bugs had exploded._

 _A torso lay somewhere._

 _"I am less severely harmed. Why? It seems that those of my Kikaichu near me intentionally lessened the force of their explosions in order to conserve my life."_

 _For the first time in his life, Aburame Shibi smiled. And died._


	7. The Graveyard of Gorinami

**The Graveyard of Gorinami**

 **A few days after the unexplained events of Hoshigato, another incident happened in Gorinami. This cemented the views of the general populace that there was a malevolent entity, or a group of entities, that was taking its revenge on all shinobi.**

 **There were three 'hotspots', so to speak, of death around the city. Each of these, either by coincidence or by design, formed almost exactly an equilateral triangle.**

...

 _"So, the old friends come together again, huh?"_

 _"I have a feeling that I'm not particularly going to enjoy this particular get-together."_

 _"Troublesome."_

...

 **In a field to the North, about five hundred Shinobi were found crushed to a pulp. Their remains were so badly squashed that the symbols of their villages were unidentifiable. The ground was depressed in the shape of a fist, to a depth of about ten feet. People thought this proof that a giant had been in the area, even though none were sighted.**

...

 _"Dai Bubun Baika no Jutsu!"_

 _In front of him were more than four hundred Ninja, a mixture of Kumo and Kiri forces. And Chouza, fifteenth head of the Akimichi Clan, would kill them before they touched him._

 _His fist, now twenty meters in diameter and about two tons heavy, descended of its own accord, pulverizing everything beneath, including all of the ninja. He tried to lift it up, when RRIIIIIIPP!_

 _His arm had been torn off._

...

 **To the Southeast, three hundred Shinobi were found dead with inexplicable injuries. In the words of a medical expert, it was as if 'they had all simultaneously committed suicide'.**

…

 _Inoichi looked at the Ninja in front of him. Suna, Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, Taki, Ishi, Oto. A true alliance of the Shinobi. He would have smiled if it weren't for the circumstances._

 _"Dekkai Shinranshin no Jutsu!" He breathed out, and they looked upon themselves with astonishment. Some strangled themselves, some stabbed their own stomachs or necks or eyes, some even performed very impressive take-the-enemy-with-you suicide Jutsu._

 _He himself fell to the ground, the strain, both mental and chakratic, of controlling hundreds of minds without an amplification machine finally getting to him._

 _"Live well, my little Princess."_

…

 **To the Southwest, more than three hundred Shinobi lay dead. This place was the most 'normal' battlefield, if it could be called so. Each Shinobi had several, almost perfectly circular holes in their body, yet not even a single instrument was found which could explain such shapes.**

…

 _"Well, it seems I have to do some work too…" Shikaku sighed. He didn't want to do this: too much work. But orders are orders._

 _"Chou Kage Nui no Jutsu." Thousands of shadowy tendrils emerged from the darkness, from beneath the trees, from the shadows of the Ninja. They had tips shaped like various weapons, ranging from kunai and shuriken to hammers and scalpels to, in one instance, a kusarigama._

 _Shunk. Clank. Shwoon. Krrr._

 _A minute passed, and almost all of them were dead. Clang. Tung. Hiss._

 _He tensed. Metal weapons hisses do not make._

 _"Troublesome."_

 _Boom._


End file.
